Philippa Ruth Foot, born Philippa Bosanquet, was an English philosopher, born in 1920 and died in 2010, who was one of the founders of contemporary virtue ethics. Her work drew its inspiration from Aristotelian ethics, and along with Judith Jarvis Thomson she is credited with inventing the trolley problem, the thought experiment concerning whether it is permissible to divert a runaway trolley to kill one person instead of five, which has since become one of the most widely discussed problems in moral philosophy.
Facts
Defining MomentCredited, along with Judith Jarvis Thomson, with inventing the trolley problem, which became one of the most widely discussed thought experiments in moral philosophy. 1 Notable PublicationVirtues and Vices and Other Essays in Moral Philosophy (1978) 1 Office HeldFellow and tutor in philosophy, Somerville College, Oxford, 1950 to 1969; senior research fellow, 1969 to 1988; honorary fellow, 1988 to 2010; Griffin Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles, 1976 to 1991 1 BirthplaceOwston Ferry, Lincolnshire, England 1 TraditionAnalytic philosophy; virtue ethics; Aristotelianism 1 Connections
Influenced
Source Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Philippa Foot (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction, opening sentence (birth date)
Philippa Ruth Foot (née Bosanquet; 3 October 1920-3 October 2010) was an English philosopher and one of the founders of contemporary virtue ethics.
Biography > Career (death year, on her 90th birthday)
She died in 2010 on her 90th birthday.
Biography > Career (death date, on her 90th birthday)
She died in 2010 on her 90th birthday.
Biography > Early life and education
Born Philippa Ruth Bosanquet in Owston Ferry, North Lincolnshire, she was the daughter of Esther Cleveland (1893-1980) and Captain William Sidney Bence Bosanquet (1893-1966) of the Coldstream Guards of the British Army.
Infobox, death_place field
Oxford, England
Introduction, paragraph 1
was an English philosopher and one of the founders of contemporary virtue ethics. Her work was inspired by Aristotelian ethics.
Works section
Virtues and Vices and Other Essays in Moral Philosophy, Berkeley: University of California Press/Oxford: Blackwell, 1978 (there are more recent editions)
Introduction, paragraph 1 (trolley problem)
Along with Judith Jarvis Thomson, she is credited with inventing the trolley problem.
Biography > Career
She was a lecturer in philosophy, 1947-1950; fellow and tutor, 1950-1969; senior research fellow, 1969-1988; and honorary fellow, 1988-2010.
Introduction, opening sentence (birth year)
Philippa Ruth Foot (née Bosanquet; 3 October 1920-3 October 2010) was an English philosopher and one of the founders of contemporary virtue ethics.
View the Source Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)
WikipediaInfluenced: The Trolley Problem, Origin sectionQuote, Influenced: The Trolley Problem, Origin section
The question of formulating a general principle that can account for the differing judgments arising in different variants of the story was raised in 1967 as part of an analysis of debates on abortion and the doctrine of double effect by the English philosopher Philippa Foot.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.